Pb women murdered for standing upto sand mafia

The Shahkot police today claimed that woman, who died in Thursday's road crash, was actually murdered for opposing illegal mining in her area.

Station House Officer (SHO) Bhupinder Singh said that section 302 (murder), 452 (house trespass with an intention to hurt) and 148 and 149 (rioting) of the Indian Penal Code has been added in the First Information Report (FIR) registered on September 5 against Kuldeep Singh, a resident of Rame village.

He said that Joginder Singh, Manjit Singh and Jarnail Singh residents of Rame village and their three unidentified accomplices have also been nominated in connection with incident which occurred on September 5.

SHO said that the accused hit the deceased with tractor driven leveler twice, thus, killing the old lady on the spot. He said that Jagdish Singh, victim's son, told the police that the accused were indulging in illegal sand mining from their field situated very close to victim's residence.

He said that fast moving tractor trolleys loaded with illegal sand passing near their residence was a source of nuisance. "My mother dared the tractor driver to stop illegal practice and drive the vehicle slowly. The driver informed the land owner engaged in selling sand from his fields. The accused came to our house and started abusing my mother.

Meanwhile, accused's two sons also reached there with leveler fitted tractor. The accused hit my mother with leveler twice to kill her on the spot," Jagdish Singh alleged.

Aggrieved family members and Rame villagers on Thursday evening demonstrated against the police and alleged it was colluding with illegal sand mafia and had registered a road crash death case despite the victim was murdered by the sand mafia. Earlier, the local police have registered a road crash death case.

The SHO said that further investigations were on. "No arrests have been made and raids are being conducted to nab the absconding accused," he added.